A Kiss of Fire
by Lateral Ganon
Summary: Even a fire type can fall in love, even if its kiss burns anything it touches. Benjamin Pepper is about to find this out to his peril as his mother rescues an albino Cyndaquil from the frozen wastelands of the North. OCxOC, HumanxQuilava. Chap 3 up. R
1. Prologue: Part 1

This is the first story I've written that _isn't_ an Eonshipping. If anyone can come up with a shipping name for this though, I'd be glad to hear it. This story evolved from a scene I had intended in my story _Strangers in the Night_, but it wouldn't have worked because the Typhlosion in question wasn't real, and that my human in the scenario wouldn't be allowed to react as I wanted him to. I thought it was so cute though, that I simply had to write it up. Et voila. Here's the start of the result.

There's a tune that goes very well with this story at my reading speed. It's called 'Soundtrack: Main Titles (Charlie And The Chocolate Factory)' on Youtube. Just paste it into their search, and it's the first result (put up by Soundtrack1994). The choice becomes apparant when you read paragraph six of section two and start the music from about 00:50.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, but I do own Kraith and it's locations, my OCs, and this story.

Warning: Not suitable for whatever group it is that rejects Darwins ideas. May be quite graphic in places.

_Lateral Ganon._

# # # **Chapter Specific Notes** # # #

_Italics are thoughts._

**

* * *

Prologue:**

A sparse forest grew out of the side of Mount Larsan on the northern borders of the Kraith Region. It was an inhospitable place which even a majority of Ice types shunned, constantly under attack from raging blizzards and perilous traverses. Only the most canny or most hardy were able to call this area home. A Weavile perched on a shelf of ice overlooking the forest watched the periodic sparks of red and yellow moving in the trees. He crooned to his mate perched behind him cradling an egg in her arms.

"December comes quickly now doesn't it." He hissed to her softly. She looked up at him happily and nodded.

"The fire types are back then." She said, still stroking the egg. The first Weavile turned back to the forest.

"It looks like a good size litter this year."

"How many do you reckon are going to drop this year?"

The Weavile licked its claw and tested the wind. An evil grin spread across his face.

"A lot of them."

"Shall we give them a hand on their way down?" She asked. The male smiled.

"I don't see why not." He wandered over to his mate and caressed her chin, "It would be kinder not to prolong their pain."

* * *

A small stream of flame burst through a snowdrift, breaking the loose drift apart and clearing the way for about a dozen young Cyndaquil. They pushed through the gap eagerly, running forwards again in a loose swarm. A few stumbled, but most of them shrugged it off and leapt back up. Most. 

"Move it or lose it sister!" One of them said, shoving roughly past one of the fallen. It was a girl that had collapsed from the exhaustion of moving in the sub-zero conditions. Whilst that in itself wasn't unusual for hatchlings, there was a more startling attribute to her. She was an Albino. Whilst most of her brothers and sisters had navy fur on their backs and a tan front, she was totally white, with only a slight amount of tan pigment in her belly fur.

"Wait!" She cried out to them. One or two looked back, but left just as quickly. One that had been lagging behind stopped next to her to catch its breath.

"No-one's… going… to wait… for you." It panted. The albino looked up at the newcomer.

"Why not?"

"We all… want to… get back to mom… as soon as we can." She finished. She took a few more deep breaths, before pattering forwards again. A horrible screech sounded in the skies above them, and both of them looked up. Flying on the currents and scouting the ground was an Articuno. The sight of the avian terrified the Cydaquils, and the newcomer bolted. The flicker of navy on the white snow below caught the attention of the bird, and it squawked again, diving in. The navy Cyndaquil ran erratically through the plain, not realising that she was just going in circles. The Articuno landed next to it, and lashed out with a talon, plucking the hapless creature from the snow. The Cyndaquil squealed as it was catapulted into the air and grabbed again by the Articuno's beak. With a sickening crunch, the bird snapped the Pokemon's neck and swallowed it whole. All right in front of the Albino. She watched on in terror, too traumatised to move, as the bird turned to face her. Her breath caught, hoping her colour would be enough to protect her. It scoured the ground, and its gaze caught directly above where the albino was hiding. It took a step towards her hiding place, noticing something in that direction.

CRACK.

A loud gunshot sounded throughout the mountain side, and there was a tranquilizer dart stuck in the Articuno's neck. It lunged forwards sluggishly, and spread its wings. Two humans dashed past her with a net held between them, trying to hurl it over the creature, but missing it as it lurched to one side drunkenly at the last second. It uttered a hoarse cry, and tried to take off. It flew lazily away from the mountain plateau about fifty metres before the tranquilizer overpowered its system and knocked it out. It dropped like a stone about five hundred metres into an icy crevasse below. The crunch it made was even worse than the one from before, and one of the humans winced.

"Well we botched that up." The first one said, clutching his thermals tightly.

"Hmmm." hummed the other one, his mouth obscured by a large hood wrapped around his head. A woman in a similarly oversized outfit stepped up to them, and clapped their heads together. She knew the impact would be dampened by their hoods, so they wouldn't be too peeved about it.

"You idiots! This was supposed to be a simple conservation mission! Catch, record, release, run."

"Run miss?"

"Well if you enjoy being ripped limb from limb by foot long talons, then you don't have to run."

"Ah. Gotcha."

"And what is it with this colloquialism? What's wrong with some good classic English grammar?"

"It's just the ways we was brought up miss. Our accents are our life 'n soul."

"Very well. Pack up, we're leaving."

"So soon miss?"

She didn't answer. She was too busy looking at a long line of paw prints in the snow. She looked at the hired goons.

"Did either of you make these tracks?" She asked them. They looked at each other and shook their heads.

"No miss. We was too busy trying to bag the bird."

She walked alongside the tracks for a few metres either way, before walking back to the first point she noticed them. She bent down and studied the prints closely, pulling out a Pokedex.

"These…" She cross-referenced the print with a readout from the device, "Yes… I thought so."

"What is it, miss?"

"Did either of you know that Fire types breed in the winter?"

The hooded man made loud muffling noises, and waved his hand in the air. The other man sighed.

"Branson knows miss."

"And do you know why?" She asked him. He stopped mumbling and pulled his hands down.

"That's a-"

"I know that's a no." She interrupted, "Fire types breed in winter because after three weeks into the next season, they can take the hatchlings about a mile away from the nest once they're all asleep, and leave them alone in the snow. The parents make their way back to the nest immediately, and the cold soon wakes the youngsters up. They then use their own fire to keep themselves warm and to burn through obstructions to get back to their nest."

"That's a bit daft innit?" The man asked. Branson nodded vigorously, and the woman shook her head. The albino Cyndaquil shivered as she listened to her explanation.

"It's a very clever system. Not all the offspring are expected to make it back to the nest. Out of about a dozen, only about four or five make it back. The rest drop out along the way, to become food for other Pokemon that otherwise wouldn't be able to survive the long winter here. It also saves on the amount of food that the parents need to hunt down, and makes what they do get worth the effort. Survival of the fittest. Classic Darwin."

"That's barbaric!"

"I'm afraid nature tends to look like that. But I digress. It looks like a swarm of Cyndaquil went this way, so that provides evidence to support the hypothesis. Ah. You see here?" The woman walked about six metres away from the group, and bent down to retrieve something from the snow. She straightened up, holding a limp navy object.

"And it was Cyndaquils. No signs of rigour mortis yet, so they must only have passed through here a matter of minutes ago."

The albino looked at the dead Cyndaquil in the woman's arms, and howled instinctively in anguish. It was a brother she had really wanted to get to know because his paws could bend both ways at the elbow. The woman dropped the Cyndaquil in surprise and spun around to look at where the sound was coming from. Her sight passed straight over the hidden albino, and back to the two men. They were looking around just as non-plussed.

"There's one alive somewhere. Branson, fetch the scales. Dominic, do you have a snuff box?"

Branson waved his hands in the air wildly, and pointed at his pocket. Dominic sighed.

"Miss, Branson has a-"

"I know what he's saying. Branson, snuff box. Dominic, scales." Dominic sighed and ran over to an ATV, and pulled open a bag, rifling through the contents. Branson hobbled over to the woman, and pulled the snuff box out of his pocket. The Cyndaquil was crying again, and the woman looked more carefully. There was a patch of snow a slightly different colour from the snow around it. She reached a hand out tentatively, and felt soft fur underneath it. She gasped.

"I found it! It's an albino. No wonder I didn't see it before. Dominic?"

"Here miss." He said, holding up a small hook on a cylinder with several straps dangling from the bottom. The woman moved to pick up the Pokemon, but stopped as she noticed its legs.

"Frostbite… poor thing…" She said, picking it up. She put the Pokemon into the makeshift harness on the scales, and weighed it. She tutted remorsefully, "It's too small. It wouldn't survive out here."

"So?" Branson interrupted, "You said nature was cruel."

"Well I can't just let it die here when it's obviously in pain. Pass me the snuff box." She said. Branson obliged, handing over the tin. She snapped it open, and took a pinch of the powder in her fingers. She pointed the Cyndaquil so it wasn't facing anyone, and put the powder on the end of a stick. She held it tentatively under the Pokemon's nose. The Cyndaquil breathed the powder, and sneezed. No flames. The woman breathed a sigh of relief, and held the Pokemon up. The albino squinted into the woman's face and looked into the soft blue eyes. The woman was whispering something to her.

"If you want to come with me… I can keep you alive. I can give you a family. No-one will hurt you. Would you like that?"

The Pokemon just blinked at her.

"Shake your head up and down like this… for a yes, and side to side like this… for a no."

The albino looked across at the dead Cyndaquil that the woman had dropped earlier. She had no desire to go the same way. She nodded, albeit stiffly as the cold was seeping into her muscles. The woman smiled kindly, and held up a red and white ball.

"Just rest now. This won't hurt, and when you come out again, you'll feel fine. Okay?"

The Cyndaquil nodded, and she gently tapped the creature on the nose with the ball.

"Well that's that taken care of."

"What's what taken care of?"

"Three birds with one stone." She said, "One, I've helped a Pokemon as I originally set out to, even if it's not how I wanted to. Two…" She pointed at a Weavile swinging through the trees towards where they were, "I don't like Sneasel or Weavile. They can get ones that are already dead, but the damage they can inflict on living flesh is horrendous. I'll have saved this one hours of suffering."

"And three miss?"

"I guess I miscounted." She said quickly. She watched the Weavile staring at the carcass on the floor with greed in its eyes, and grimaced.

"Dominic. If you could take the scales, can we get out of here? That Weavile is starting to scare me."

Dominic nodded and picked up the scales, before they all moved back to the ATV. Dominic jumped into the front with Branson, and the woman pulled herself up into the back compartment. She closed the door behind her and looked out the window at the landscape she was leaving behind. The Weavile had already ventured out of the shelter of its tree and was dragging the carcass through the snow back to its mountain lair. She held the Pokeball with the albino in it, and sighed.

_And three, I've got my son a Christmas present he'll love._

Nature may have been cruel, but fate could be far crueller.

_

* * *

_

The ride from the mountain was treacherous, and bumpier than a warty Graveler, but apart from a few near misses with Pokemon dashing across the trail, the trip to the bottom of the mountain was pretty uneventful. Dominic stopped the vehicle, and turned around to face the woman in the back.

"We're back in the town miss." He told her. She looked up at the driver and smiled.

"Thank you. Here's your pay then." She said, handing over several notes. He counted them, and nodded, opening the door to let her out. He led her into the railway station they'd stopped outside, and Branson followed with several large cases on wheels. They both studied the timetable, before pointing out a train.

"Yours is the night train to Alanus city, swapping there for a slow service to… Cemusem village innit?"

"Yes, that's right." She answered, taking the handles from Branson. He nodded and went back to the car. Dominic stepped forwards.

"I don't think I'd be right in assuming you'll be coming 'ere again would I miss?" He said. The woman raised an eyebrow at him.

"In English?"

"Will ya be coming 'ere again?"

"No." She said flatly, "I think I've done enough damage here for a lifetime. I'll stick to more mundane creatures in future."

"Thought not. Good luck with ya work then Miss Pepper." He said, before leaving the station. She walked along the platform looking for the compartment she reserved, before boarding the train and stowing her luggage above the window. She sat back in the chair, and pulled a panel in the wall open. Inside was an alarm clock, which she set to ring in three hours time. She closed the panel back up, and pulled her hood back off her face. Her tan ponytail flicked out of the confines of the hood, and settled to lying against her back. The rest of her hair framed her face neatly, and she looked to be in about her late twenties. She pulled of the rest of the arctic protection to reveal a short sleeved shirt and cotton trousers. She put a majority of the excess clothing intone of the nags, but kept the largest coat out. She draped it over herself as a blanket, and leant back in the chair to sleep.

* * *

_Three Hours Later:_

She got off the train at Cemusem Village, and stacked her bags back together in a tower. She tied them together, before tilting it onto a pair of wheels, and dragging it away from the station. It wasn't a long walk to her house; it wasn't a long walk anywhere in the village. If the town was assumed to be a pentagon, forests bordered three of the sides. It always had a homely atmosphere, and had a lot of press coverage due to the nature of the PokeCentre. She always brimmed with pride when she heard about it; the only PokeCentre staffed almost solely by Pokemon. And for having refused to let a Nurse Joy anywhere near it.

As she approached her house, she wasn't surprised that the porch light came on. She'd rang ahead to tell her nanny that she'd be back about now, and as she approached the door an old lady opened the door for her.

"Welcome home Miss." She said quietly, "How was the trip?"

"I told you. Don't call me Miss. It makes me sound old. Call me Kelly."

"Sorry, I forgot." She said. Kelly pulled off a smaller coat than her arctic one, and hung it up on a coat peg. She ran a hand through her hair and pulled the bobble off, letting her hair fall in waves over her back.

"It's been rough. If anyone comes asking me if I killed an Articuno, I didn't." She said. The nanny looked shocked.

"You didn't!"

"It was tranquilized alright, but it flew off before it kicked in. It was over a ravine when it finally did, and it kind of…" She held her hand in the air and mimicked the crash, pulling the hand diagonally down in front of her, "Neeeeeeoooooowww-Splat. Awful."

"Well… better luck next time."

"How's Benjamin?"

"He's fine. He's sleeping for longer at nights now, and he's becoming less of a tearaway-terror." She said. Kelly gave a sigh of relief.

"I see your salary doesn't go to waste."

"No Ma'am. He should grow up a right little gent."

"Please. Enough with the Ma'am, Miss, Madam, or any other formalities. Just call me Kelly."

"Sorry. I keep forgetting." She said. Kelly sighed, and walked over to the staircase. She turned back to the housekeeper.

"Could you just make me a hot chocolate for me please before I go to bed?" She asked her. The nanny curtsied.

"Yes M- I mean Kelly." She replied, before leaving the hallway. Kelly mounted the first step, treading carefully so they wouldn't squeak. She walked upstairs, and opened the door of her son's room carefully. A small boy, about seven years old, was curled up on the top bunk, sound asleep. She brushed back a lock of mousey brown hair, and kissed him softly on the forehead.

_Happy Christmas Benny._ She thought, not wanting to wake him up,

He shifted slightly, and she slowly backed out of the room, closing the door carefully on the way out. She breathed a sigh of relief before going up another set of stairs to her own room. The hot chocolate was already sat there, steaming on the side, and she changed into her pyjamas and jumped into the bed. She took a long draught from the mug and snuggled deeper into the sheets, watching the night sky out of a skylight as she fell asleep.

* * *

Ended it a bit badly I think. 

I could have made the eating part of the Articuno more sickening by adding the bulge of the neck as it swallowed, but that... (shivers) even disturbed me. There is a limit to the amount of trauma I'll be allowed to convey in a T. Sorry to Articuno fans, but no other Pokemon could take it's place.


	2. Prologue: Part 2

I'm surprised. This story is about twice as popular hit-wise as any of my Eonshippings for the same length, but only two people have taken the time to review. Weird. Updates will take longer now, because I'm back to school tomorrow.

Same Disclaimer. No Warnings this time.

_Lateral Ganon_

# # # **Chapter Specific Notes **# # #

_Italics are telepathy from an Alakazam or a Lucario. It's pretty obvious which at the relevant points._

('Sections in brackets and quote marks is the sound made by the Cyndaquil that humans hear. It will only be in this chapter.')

* * *

**Prologue: Part 2**

It was the early hours of Christmas day in Cemusem Village, and only the Pokemon centre in the town had any lights on. A lone woman was walking through the streets towards it, a small ball clutched in one hand, and her coat held firmly closed with the other. She stepped into the warm atrium of the Pokemon centre, and walked over to the counter. A blue fox-like Pokemon was sat on the counter, apparently reading a newspaper just prior to arrival. The Glaceon looked up at her as she approached, and Kelly paused.

"You're new here aren't you?" She asked the Pokemon. The Glaceon shook her head, and made a series of mewling noises. Kelly frowned.

"I can't understand you." She said regretfully. The Glaceon mewled again, and waved its front paws abound as though trying to demonstrate something. Kelly scratched the back of her own head.

"Nope. Still gibberish. Can you bring Kenai in?"

The Glaceon continued mewling gibberish angrily for a few seconds, before jumping off the desk and padding into a backroom. An old Alakazam in a lab coat with very apparent bags under his eyes lumbered out of the backroom, stopping next to the desk.

_Ah. Doctor Pepper. Can I interest you in a drink?_ The Pokemon offered. Kelly nodded.

"Yes please. One of me please." She said. Kenai wandered back into the backroom, and brought out a can bearing her name, _Now what do you need help with?_

Kelly snapped open the can, and took a sip before answering. It had always been a party piece since she'd graduated.

"It'll only take a moment. I picked up a Cyndaquil from the north, and it had frostbite on both its back legs. Can you heal it?" She asked. The Glaceon looked up with interest, and mewled at the Alakazam. He looked down at it, before looking back at Kelly.

_Melissa wants to know where you got this Pokemon, although I know it's irrelevant._

"Oh. I caught her at Mount Larsan." She answered. The Glaceon jumped, and mewled at Kenai, flicking its head in circles.

_She says she used to live there before she came here, and that she regularly saw Cyndaquil and Charmander. Now, you wanted her healing you say. Hand over the Pokeball then._

"Don't open it though. I want it to be a surprise for her too." Kelly insisted. Kenai nodded.

_Of course._ He said, before the voice became significantly quieter and darker, _another one of us being passed off as nothing more than a cheap Christmas present._ He muttered. He placed the ball on a machine built into the wall, and pressed a few buttons. He hummed in surprise as a picture of the Pokemon appeared on a display.

_My my. An albino. These are rarer than shinies. Are you sure you're not a poacher, doctor? Because a pelt like this would have a ridiculously high market value. We're talking millions of Poke-dollars here if it was a Typhlosion._ He said. She whistled appreciatively, but shook her head all the same.

"I'm a doctor. My job is saving lives, not selling them. I caught it because it was dying, and I wanted to save it hours of suffering. There were Weavile nearby."

_Ah. That's a different matter then._ He said, tapping another button and ejecting the Pokeball from the machine, _And one Cyndaquil fully recovered. Do you want it gift wrapped?_ He said sarcastically. She plucked the ball out of his fingers, and scowled at him.

"This Pokemon isn't going to be thrown out on the streets in January. She's going to be a loving pet. For the family." She said, clutching the ball defensively. Kenai looked at her reproachfully.

_We're not pets, and you shouldn't think of us as them. Caterpie and other Pokemon without conscious thought; those can be pets. But not sentient beings. Sentient beings are friends. And unless you treat them as friends, they are enemies. Are you sure you want to go around making enemies for yourself?_ He asked her. She looked back at her feet.

"Sorry. I should have thought about that."

_Well… it's too late to fret over it now. Just treat her properly okay? I'll know otherwise._

"I will do. Merry Christmas Kenai."

_Merry Christmas Pepper. Don't forget this afternoon._ Kenai said half-heartedly as he yawned loudly. Kelly smiled, and left the centre.

* * *

Benjamin opened his eyes slowly, blinking the sleep from them as he looked across his room. It was Christmas day! He leapt straight down from the top bunk, and quickly changed into some day clothes, before dashing out of the room. He jumped down the stairs three steps at a time until he got to the living room, and he gaped. There, pinning up more decorations on the tree, was his mother. She smiled sweetly at him. 

"I'm home Benny." She said, holding her arms open for him. He ran into her embrace, and they knelt down on the floor.

"Nan said you wouldn't be back in time for Christmas this year." He said. Kelly patted his head gently, and tried not to picture the Articuno skewered by a glacier.

"I decided that it would be better to spend Christmas with you this time. And guess what I found whilst I was out there." She said, holding up a box. Benny frowned.

"Not _another_ fossil. You've shown me millions of them." He moaned. She shook her head and her grin widened.

"Even better than a fossil then." She said, piquing his interest, "Do you want to see it?"

The boy narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

"Are you sure it's not another stinky old fossil?" He said, glancing over at a display of them above the mantelpiece. Pretty much every fossil known was there, including the Helix, Dome, Root, Claw, Skull, and Armour. In another case there was an Old Amber secured in a frame, and a rare bone of some other unknown Pokemon rested loosely on the side. Kelly noticed the glance and laughed

"Can you name them yet?"

"Oh mom! That's boring." He complained. She gave him a look that meant they weren't going anywhere otherwise, so he cleared his throat and pointed at each rock in turn, "Omanyte, Kabuto, Lileep, Anorith… Crandor and Shieldy?" He guessed. Kelly smiled.

"It's close enough. Cranidos and Shieldon. And we all know what smart boys deserve. They deserve their presents!" She said in the embarrassing motherly way as she passed the box to him. He smiled and pulled off the lid, staring in shock at the Pokeball inside. He tried to speak, but no words came out. Kelly rubbed his shoulders.

"It's a Pokemon. Why don't you let her out?" She suggested, stepping back as the boy plucked the ball from the foam it was nestled in. He looked at it expectantly before looking at his mother again.

"I don't know how to open it."

"It opens on impact, so most trainers throw it. It won't hurt her." She said. He looked back at the Pokeball, and tapped it against the ground. The Pokeball burst open with a flash of red light. A small shape formed from the light, and solidified into a white Cyndaquil. It looked around in shock.

"Where am I?" She said. 'Cyndaquil' was what the humans heard instead. Benjamin sat back on his haunches, impressed.

"A Cyndaquil! It's amazing!" He said. He reached a hand out in front of the Pokemon for it to examine. The albino looked up at him.

"Who are you?" ('Quiiii?')

"Hi. I'm Benjamin." He said, laying the hand flat on the floor. She walked over to it, and sniffed at the fingers. He laughed as the Pokemon's snout tickled, and pulled it back. The albino looked at him blankly.

"Do you want to name her?" Kelly asked him. Both Benjamin and the Pokemon looked up at her, before looking back at each other. He couldn't think of any names for the Pokemon that wasn't cheesy or boring. The Pokemon waddled over to the arm he was resting on, and tapped on his hand. In that simple touch, he had the name he needed.

"Sophie. She's called Sophie." He said conclusively. The Pokemon cocked its head to one side.

"Sophie…" ('Cynda.') She said, looking at the boy. He smiled at her.

"See. She likes it." Kelly said, "You can play with her now if you like."

"Can I?" He yelled happily, before turning to run out of the room, "Come on Sophie!"

"Wait! She's only got little legs." Kelly called after her. Benjamin ran back in, and swept the Pokemon up in his arms, holding it against his chest. He ran over to the door and pushed it open, stepping into the fresh snowfall.

* * *

Sophie recoiled as the sudden chill encompassed her, and she looked at the ground. Snow. Just like where she'd been abandoned. Frightening images formed behind her eyes like a demented slideshow. A sister being shattered and devoured by a big blue bird. A brother dangling limply from that woman's hand. The only thing that snow stood for to her now was death and destruction. She squealed and pressed herself against the warmth of Benjamin's chest, causing him to stop and look at her. He pulled the Pokemon away from his chest, and watched as she curled up into a ball, still squeaking in fear. 

"What's wrong Sophie?" He asked her.

"Snow! It's evil!" ('Cyn! Quilda!') She squeaked out. Benjamin uncoiled her, and looked to see tears forming under her eyes, freezing in the cold air onto her fur.

"I don't understand you." He said to her. She pointed at the ground, before curling up against his chest again.

"Snow… Please… get it away…" ('Cyn… Quilquilqui.') She whined. Benjamin looked at the snow, before looking back at the house.

"So Cyn… must mean… snow…" He mused, before walking back into the house, "Mom!"

"What is it honey?" She called back absently.

"I think Sophie's scared of snow."

"That's nice dear." She replied, and he instantly realised that he wasn't going to get any useful advice from her for hours. He walked up to a door and pushed open the door to find his mother working furiously at a desk, periodically referring to something on a computer screen. He closed the door quietly, and looked back at the Cyndaquil in his arms. She seemed to have calmed own now she was back in a warm area, and he could tell she was watching him, even though he couldn't see her eyes. He walked up the stairs and made his way to his own room, and placed the Cyndaquil on his desk, flopping onto a couch in the corner himself. He looked at the Pokemon on his desk, and watched as it jumped off and rifled about his room.

"Make yourself at home." He said, "Just don't burn anything."

"I can't burn anything even if I tried." ('Da cyncyn quiiiil quicyn.') She squeaked. Benjamin bolted upright on the sofa.

"That's it! I'll just learn your language." He said, standing up and walking over to the computer. He flicked it on, and Sophie jumped up onto the lower bunk bed to watch. He scrolled through several web pages, before laughing to himself.

"According to this it's easy, but it just takes ages. I've got years, so I guess it'd be worth the wait."

"What is it?" ('Quill?") She hummed. He looked across to her and smiled.

"I say a word, and you repeat it how you say it. I listen carefully, and I then just need to remember it. Shall we try it?"

"Why not? Nothing to lose." ('Quillda? Da cyncyn.') She whistled back at him. He frowned.

"Can you just nod yes or no? I don't understand you yet." He asked. Sophie nodded, and he smiled broadly. He looked back at the webpage, and read a few more instructions.

"It says I should start with common words or phrases that will be handy to know. Okay. What's hungry?"

"Hungry." ('Quin') She said. Benjamin tried to memorise it, and moved to a different word.

"Tired."

"Tired." ('Qu_i_n') She answered. He scratched his head in confusion.

"I thought hungry was Quin."

"No. Hungry… Tired." ('Da. Quin… Qu_i_n.') She said, squeaking the word clearly. He listened carefully as she repeated, and noticed a very subtle difference. They continued in this vein for about four hours, before his mother called upstairs.

"Don't forget Edward invited us to the PokeCentre for Christmas dinner today, and I want us looking our best." She called up. Benjamin frowned at the interruption, but the twenty words he'd managed to learn felt like a lot of progress.

"But mom! I don't want to go to no stupid dinner." He said. Kelly tutted.

"That's a double negative Benny, which means you _do_ want to go to the dinner. Now hurry up and get changed."

Benjamin strode back to his sofa, and flopped down on it sulkily. Sophie padded over and jumped up next to him, watching him. He stroked her nose softly.

"It's not fair. Why do I have to get dressed up especially just to cover it in gravy?" He moaned. Sophie's stomach rumbled ominously, and he smiled down at her.

"So you're hungry right? I've got another idea. How about you come to this dinner as well, and you can eat whatever you want?"

Sophie nodded, and squeaked again, which He now recognised as a yes. He stood up and changed into some nicer clothes, before picking her up again. He carried her downstairs where his mother was admiring herself in a mirror. She'd chosen a casual blue dress to go in, but wore a cardigan over the top of it. She looked over at the Pokemon in his arms, and frowned slightly.

"Do you really have to bring her with us?" She asked him. He nodded, having prepared a good argument for this question.

"Nanny's gone home for the holiday, so we can't just leave her alone in the house. You don't know what she might do. Besides, she's hungry." He told her, nudging the Cyndaquil up in his arms. Kelly sighed regretfully, and pushed open the door.

"Very well then. Come on. If we don't set off now, we'll be late."

* * *

Kenai opened the side door of the PokeCentre as they approached. He looked at the Cyndaquil in the boy's arms and grimaced, although it didn't change his face enough to register as anything unusual. The only unusual aspect to him was that his lab coat seemed much cleaner, and he'd added a bow tie to his neck. 

_Right this way then._ He said politely, leading them both through into a small dining room. There were six places set at a long rectangular table, each with at least half a dozen knives at forks besides them. A middle-aged man was sat at one end, and a small six year old girl with silver hair was sat next to him on the long side of the table. The man waved to them, and gestured for them to sit down. Benjamin sat opposite the girl, whilst his mother sat down next to him. He put the Cyndaquil on the table next to his plate, and his mother immediately tried to shoo it off.

"Benny. No Pokemon on the table." She hissed at him. He made a motion to pick her back off and put her on the floor next to him, when Eddie stopped him. He shot Kelly a disapproving glare.

"Come on now Kelly. Why do you think the table is set for six this year? I've been neglecting two of my best friends for years. And considering one of them is cooking this meal, it only seems fair that he gets to enjoy the fruits of his labour."

"Don't tell me you…"

"Yes. Kenai will be joining us for this meal, as will Lazlo." He said. A Lucario walked into the room, and took a place next to silver haired girl, and Benjamin couldn't help but stare. He knew that some of Eddies Pokemon had a penchant for wearing clothes, but this Pokemon's suit seemed to have been tailored to fit. The Lucario wore cyan breeches, with a similarly coloured waistcoat, and gold thread through the border. An orange lens was held over his left eye by an earpiece clipped onto the side of his head, and Eddie nodded appreciatively.

"You modelled that suit on your grandfathers fur am I right?" He asked. The Lucario nodded, before noticing Benjamin staring at him. He glared at him with cold purple eyes.

'_It's rude to stare._' He said telepathically, causing Benjamin to flinch.

Kenai wandered back in through the doorway he'd brought them through, and took his place on the opposite end of table to Eddie, between Lazlo and Kelly. The food was quickly dished out onto plates, and after a moments pause for grace, they all tucked in.

Benjamin looked up at the Cyndaquil looking at his plate, and smirked. He picked up one of his spare forks, and picked up a piece of carrot from his plate. He held it up for Sophie, and whispered to her.

"Try this. It's really good." He said, smiling as she pulled the carrot off with her teeth and chewed it hesitantly. She squeaked in delight, and Benjamin gave her another.

Kenai looked up from his plate, and almost choked in surprise as he saw Benjamin feeding the Cyndaquil. Slowly, but surely, he smiled, his worries about the future of the Cyndaquil put at ease, at least for the moment.

* * *

I'm about to skip a two years. But can more people actually review? And for Kotor when you get around to reading this, Fortuneshipping is DawnxLucas (the game characters), not... (shudders), you know what I mean. Someone messed up big time with their naming, because it's becoming a pretty common mistake. I think I've seen about six people that have fallen for the misnomer. 


	3. Glory Blaze

And my other one. Sorry I couldn't put TAoS up as well, but the new copy of Destiny Deoxys I got had extra bits which I didn't know about before, so it's out for repairs. As for TYLAM, I got bored of waiting for writers block to end, and since no-one knows what it's about, no-one will care.

Usual Warnings/Disclaimers.

_Lateral Ganon._

# # # **Chapter Specific Notes** # # #

_Italics are Telepathy when it's a Pokemon, or thoughts when it's Benjamin  
_**Bold type is an E-mail.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Glory Blaze**

"Sophie, use Double Kick!" Benjamin shouted across a grassy outcrop on the outskirts of the town's forest. An albino Cyndaquil dashed across the lawn, pelting straight for a Machoke. The muscle-bound Pokemon didn't even flinch as the fire mouse flipped up into the air and crashed into its chest, tiny spurs digging in. The Machoke flexed its pectorals, and Sophie was brushed off like biscuit crumbs. She stepped back awkwardly as it lowered its head, and whispered to her.

"You're going to have to try harder than that if you even want to make this match a draw." He said, baring crude fangs. She hissed back at him.

"Go to hell."

"Wouldn't count on it whitey. If I took off this belt…"

"You'd be arrested for flashing."

"I'd kill you in one hit." He snarled.

"Machoke! Use Piledriver!" The opposing trainer shouted. He was about Benjamin's age, and like most other ten-year olds, fascinated with battling, hence the cause of this little friendly match… although friendly was hardly a term that often applied to the Machoke. The Machoke looked down at Sophie, and smirked, drawing back a fist behind his head.

"Time to make friends with the earth little girl."

Benjamin gasped as he saw the fist swung forwards with crushing force, raising an immense dust cloud around the combatants. As the muck cleared, the Machoke grinned at the ridges of earth pushed aside by his fist as he drove the mouse into the earth. Benjamin felt a little nudge under his left foot, and he let out a sigh of relief, before straightening up. His opponent was scoffing at him.

"Give it up! You can't win!" He called across. Benjamin scowled and shouted back.

"Shut your face Andy! Sophie, Dig attack!"

The Machoke looked up in surprise as the mouse leapt up behind him, and dragged one of his legs down the hole. He flailed his arms trying to keep his balance, before falling over. He grunted at the sudden snap in his knee, but the pain only infused his anger.

"I'll rip your stubby little legs off!" He shouted, slapping the ground.

"Machoke, Substitute!"

The brawny Pokemon blinked. That was a good idea. It would certainly get his leg out of this hole. He leapt up as the duplicate replaced his trapped form, and turned to face the Cyndaquil. He growled angrily, and ran up to the Pokemon, grabbing it in both hands and swinging it up above his head. He brought her down sharply over his shoulders to snap her back.

"Protect!"

Sophie's fur immediately bristled, and formed an impenetrable cocoon around her. As she collided with the Machoke back, he screeched as his shoulders were practically destroyed by the impact with the equivalent of a block of granite. He dropped her, and she scampered away from him as he fell onto his knees. He was gasping for breath, leaning forwards on his forearms. Andrew jumped about on the spot shouting commands.

"Get up Machoke! Stand and fight. You're not beaten yet!" He called. The Machoke waved him off.

"Just gimme a minute. I can take that runt down anytime." He panted, knuckling the dirt under his knees as he rocked slightly. Sophie looked up and down a tree near the edge of the clearing, and looked back at Benjamin. If you knew her, it was just possible to discern a smirk on her face.

"That one's good." She called over to him, pointing at the tree. He nodded.

"Sophie! Use Aerial Ace!"

The mouse ran up to the base of the tree, leaping onto the trunk. She dug her toes into the bark, literally running vertically up the oak. She jumped onto a high branch overlooking the battlefield, before running along to the end and leaping off. She took on an even brighter sheen of white as she dove at her opponent.

The Machoke looked up from cradling his forearms just in time to get hit full in the face by the rocketing rodent. He was bowled over backwards by the blow, and Sophie skidded to a halt a few metres away, a small dust cloud billowing behind her. Machoke struggled briefly to keep his grip on consciousness, before succumbing to the attack. His eyes crossed, and his jaw fell open. Andrew gasped.

"You beat dad's Machoke! You cheater!" He shouted recalling the Pokemon. Before giving Benjamin any time to respond, he turned and ran back into the town. Benjamin cocked one eyebrow, and looked down at Sophie.

"Well you can't say fairer than that. You whipped his backside."

"Kicked." She corrected, dusting herself off. Benjamin smirked, walked over to the tree she'd recently climbed up. He pulled his backpack off, and sat down cross-legged, with his back against the tree. Sophie climbed up onto his lap, and he scratched the top of her head thoughtfully. He laughed as he heard her stomach rumble.

"I guess you're hungry huh?" He asked, pulling open his backpack. He took out a small plastic box, and Sophie sniffed at it inquisitively. She sneezed away from it.

"What is it?" She asked tentatively. He pulled off the lid, and held a piece out for her.

"It's Micle cake. You'll like it." He said. She grasped the piece in her forepaws, and gently nibbled at a corner. She squeaked in delight, and started gnawing noisily on the piece, throwing crumbs everywhere. Benjamin smiled and picked her up off his lap, placing her back on the grass to avoid getting sprayed with the debris. However, as he placed her down, he noticed something on her back. White sparks were playing over her back, around where the faded outlines of her flame vents were. He nudged her side gently.

"Sophie, you're sparkling." He whispered. She ignored him and continued chomping down the slice of cake, albeit slightly slower. The sparking area grew with each mouthful, and she stopped suddenly. There was a pained look on her face.

"Don't feel good." She whimpered, before retching, "Gonna be sick."

She collapsed on the ground, and the sparks suddenly flared like fire over her back. They shrouded her in the same white light, before flaring like a magnesium strip. Benjamin shielded his face as the light threatened to blind him, hoping for her safety. A thumping sound was heard, followed by silence. Benjamin opened his eyes a fraction to check what had happened, and gasped as he looked at Sophie.

She was no longer a Cyndaquil. Her body had doubled in size, resembling a large weasel. Her head was larger and slightly pointier, but her snout had gone. Her fur was still white, but was much sleeker than before, now having taken a glossy sheen like gossamer. She had evolved into a Quilava, and a beautiful one at that. Of course, Benjamin didn't take any notice of this, just the fact that she was still unconscious. He nudged her side again.

"Sophie?" He whispered in her ear, before getting slightly louder, "Sophie!"

When there was still no response, he pulled his backpack back on, and got on his knees, pushing his arms under her midriff. He picked her up in his arms, and started walking with her towards the town again. She wasn't excessively heavy, just cumbersome, so it wasn't long before they'd got to the PokeCentre. The doors opened automatically, and he lurched forwards towards the desk. There were two Swellows sat on the desk conversing with a Glaceon manning the desk. All three of them turned to look at him as the door chimed. He ignored the birds' gazes, and put the Quilava on the desk. He turned to the Glaceon on the desk, which immediately stopped talking to the Swellows. A staring match ensued between Melissa and Benjamin, and after a minute, the Glaceon won. Benjamin rubbed his eyes and growled as he saw the Glaceon wearing a smug grin.

"Just bring Kenai out will you." He asked. Melissa mewled angrily and jumped off the desk onto the floor, padding into the back room. Benjamin stood there tapping his foot against the counter for about ten minutes, before the Alakazam came out.

_What's the problem?_ He asked telepathically.

"Well, I gave my Cyndaquil some Micle cake, and she got all sparkly and evolved into a Quilava when she felt ill from it. She's been unconscious since then."

Kenai looked at the Pokemon on the desk, and nodded appreciatively.

_Have you still got the box?_

"Yes." He said, pulling the plastic box out of the rucksack, "Why?"

Kenai pressed a sensor into the body of the dessert, and looked at a readout, tutting reproachfully. Finally, he handed it back.

_There's the equivalent of six rare candies in this cake. Six million kilo-joules. The amount of energy allowed her to evolve, and the brain knocked itself out to cope with the sugar rush. Give her a few hours, and she'll be awake. Follow me please. I'll take you to a ward where she can recover until we can take the case further._

Benjamin picked Sophie up from the desk, and followed the Pokemon up a flight of stairs. Kenai opened a set of double doors on one side opening out onto a small ward. He motioned the nearest bed, and he placed Sophie down on her back. The Alakazam yawned, and hobbled out of the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, she was dazzled by the intensity of the clinics lighting, and closed them almost immediately. She moaned in pain, and heard something scuffling next to her. She opened her eyes a fraction and tilted her head looking for the source of the noise. There was something there but she couldn't see it clearly. Why that mattered to her now considering that was how she'd seen everything before, she didn't understand, or really care.

"Where…" she groaned before a voice shushed her quiet.

"Just rest. A Chansey came in earlier and said you're going to have a headache when you wake up."

"No. I-" She squealed and clutched her head as the sucrose induced agony suddenly boiled through her. She whimpered and rocked her head from side to side, still clutched in her forepaws. Benjamin put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she didn't notice as her head felt like it was being cleaved in two.

"It hurts!" She squealed, "It hurts!"

Benjamin winced, and just held her shoulder, watching as tears rolled down her face. It took about ten minutes before the strangled sobs began to subside, and she finally seemed to settle down, head in paws still. Benjamin scratched behind her head gently, and realization suddenly dawned on him.

_She's got ears now._

She removed her paws from her head and purred contentedly as Benjamin continued to scratch. She tilted her head away from him, and opened her eyes. It felt like the first time she'd ever seen anything clearly in her life now, and she was dazzled by the colours. She didn't know what was happening, because bizarrely, she didn't know she'd evolved.

_Excuse me._ A psychic voice said from behind Benjamin. He spun around to look at the Lucario addressing him. Although it wasn't unusual in this town for some Pokemon to be clothed, this one was wearing a white surgical apron. Sophie looked up at him a second later, but winced as she suddenly felt sick again.

"Why are you here?" Benjamin asked. The Lucario cleared its throat, and continued.

_I was told by my commander that she has been suffering due to rare-candies._

"Suffering?" Sophie asked the Lucario. It wasn't comfortable, but she wouldn't call it suffering. The other Pokemon glared at her.

_Rare candies are a dangerous drug. Excessive use can lead to a heavy dependency, and the substance itself weakens the cell structure of us sufficiently to weaken our powers. As such, we developed a virus to reverse the effects in the events of accidental doses to maintain a pure Pokemon._

"I'm not letting you just stick a virus in her." Benjamin said defensively. The Lucario sighed exasperatedly.

_Viruses always have a bad press. We're the best in the region for bio-technology, and we've been practising with the technique for about five years. If it's anything, it's safe and dependable._

"But Sophie doesn't have any powers to be weakened. She can't breathe fire." He argued. Sophie nodded in general agreement, before resting her forehead on her paw again. The Lucario peeked around the boy, and grimaced at the girl.

_I'm afraid you don't have a choice. Another effect of the candies is that it causes agonising headaches that recur frequently. Within a matter of hours of each other. Without this treatment, she's unlikely to get a peaceful night sleep again. Within months, she will probably lose her mind, and the will to live. Depression is VERY common in candy cases._

Sophie moaned loudly as the next headache wound itself up and started gnawing at her head again. Benjamin looked back, and tried cradling her head again. The Lucario growled sympathetically.

_Are you sure you don't want to alleviate her pain?_ He asked. Benjamin looked at the crying Pokemon in his arms for a while before looking back at the Lucario.

"Won't an aspirin work?" He asked resentfully. The Lucario shook his head.

_Not strong enough, even our own concoctions. Only the virus can offer a complete cure._

"And definitely no side effects?" He asked tentatively. The Lucario smiled.

_None. Each virus is tailored to the Pokemon's own genetic sequence, and unlike most viruses it automatically terminates itself and all the relevant genes it inserts. Her DNA was on the record as a citizen, so it wasn't long before we had the serum. Are you ready?_

Benjamin looked back down at the writhing Pokemon on the bed, who was screeching horribly.

"DO IT!! IT HURTS!" She shouted. Benjamin sighed, and moved aside for the Lucario to get at her, and it moved forwards. He held up a canister with a gas mask attached to it, and tried to hold it over her face. He pulled back as she was shaking too much to form the seal.

_Can you hold her still please?_ He asked, allowing Benjamin back at her again. He moved forwards and held her shoulders down to the bed with gentle force. The Lucario moved over to the opposite side of the bed.

"Sophie. Sophie. Calm down… everything's going to be alright." He said soothingly. She stopped moving her head, and opened her eyes again to look at Benjamin's face. In that single glance, something flared deep within her, but was snuffed out immediately as the gas mask was pinned over her face in a flash. She was unconscious in seconds as she inhaled the cocktail of serums. The Lucario turned off the tap, and removed the mask.

_She's free to go._ The Lucario said putting the canister away in a case, and began walking away. Benjamin tapped its elbow, and it stopped.

"Just like that? No way. What's your name if I need to bring her back in?" He asked.

_Cobalt. Major Cobalt, but you shouldn't need it. Remember to give her plenty of time to rest._ He answered before continuing out of the room. Benjamin walked back over to the bed and picked her up, reassured that she was still breathing at least. He moved over to the doorway and down a flight of stairs and out of the PokeCentre.

* * *

He reached the door of his house about ten minutes later. He considered for a second trying to fumble around in his pockets for a key, but decided against it when he remembered the nanny. He pressed the doorbell with his face and waited. About a minute later, he could hear footsteps moving inside, and the sound of the key moving in the lock. The nanny opened the door to let him in, and gasped as she saw the Pokemon in his arms.

"Is that… Sophie?" She asked, holding a hand over her mouth. Benjamin nodded.

"Apparently there was too much energy in the cake and she evolved when she ate some." He said. The nanny looked away shamefaced at the words.

"The sugar jar broke when I tipped some into the mixture. I thought it would be harmless and would make it taste nicer, but looking at this… I should have just thrown it away and made a new cake. Sorry Sir." She said. Benjamin shook his head.

"It's not all bad. I think she looks cuter now." He said, stroking Sophie's back softly. The nanny nodded.

"I see. You're mother called and said she'll be back in a week."

"Okay." He replied, wandering off upstairs. He placed Sophie on his lower bunk bed, and immediately turned on his computer. One e-mail. He scanned it and smiled as he read it out. His mother had sent him it from where she was working.

**Hi Benny. Just thought you'd like to know how we're doing up here.**

Up in the arctic circle. She always did have a fascination with how Pokemon could survive the extreme conditions there.

**The team have made an amazing discovery with the Pokemon here. We haven't finished the research yet, but I'll tell you all about it when I get back. It's amazing. I sent you some pictures too of all the Pokemon here. Thought you might like them.**

He opened the attachment, and smiled. She'd taken a picture of a massive herd of Spheal, Sealeo and Walrien, with Delibirds wandering throughout it like sentinels, handing food to some of the smaller Spheals. She'd attached a footnote.

**It looks like the Delibirds herd the Sealion Pokemon for some reason, supporting them symbiotically. It's fascinating. It stands to reason that the birds must be harvesting something from them in return for the protection they offer them from predators.**

Most of the rest of the photos continued in the same vein, with her commenting on the pictures scientific value. There was one exception, where the picture was blurred. It looked like green bar with a blue blob at one end, and the aurora could be seen behind it

**Jason was looking through his telescope again, when he saw this. Even though it didn't take too well through the telescope, you can still see it's a Rayquaza. We were astounded just by that, but we actually managed to see it feeding. That blue blob on the end is a young Latios that just appeared out of nowhere in the Aurora. I suspect that it tried teleporting and missed and ended up in the Rayquazas territory. We never knew it was such a fierce predator.**

Benjamin stared at the picture in awe. A Rayquaza!

"You're so lucky Mom." He said under his breath.


End file.
